China accused of stealing brain data from Jannik Sinner and Man City players in military plot

A bombshell investigation by Hunterbrook Media and journalist Pablo Torre has raised alarms across the sports world, alleging that China may have stolen brainwave data from elite athletes, including tennis star Jannik Sinner, skier Mikaela Shiffrin, and Manchester City soccer stars, for military research.

Torre, who previously exposed the Los Angeles Clippers’ salary-cap scandal involving Kawhi Leonard, partnered with Hunterbrook to uncover claims that Chinese entities may have gained access to sensitive neural data through a popular focus-training headband.

FocusCalm headbands at center of controversy

The investigation points to FocusCalm, a headset used by athletes to sharpen concentration and improve mental performance. According to Hunterbrook and Torre, a Chinese government employee allegedly obtained software data from the devices, potentially compromising information from Sinner, Iga Swiatek, Formula One driver Charles Leclerc, members of Italy’s Olympic teams, and unnamed Manchester City players.

Dr. Riccardo Ceccarelli, a well-known sports physician, reportedly compiled the list of athletes who may have been affected.

A Harvard-founded startup now linked to Chinese military

The headbands are produced by BrainCo, a company originally launched at Harvard before relocating to China. Investigators claim the firm is secretly backed by Chinese government-linked groups and robotics companies tied to military research.

This revelation has fueled concerns that data collected from world-class athletes could be repurposed to help China train so-called supersoldiers, blending neuroscience with defense technology.

Rising fears in the sports community

For many in international sports, the idea that brainwave data from Sinner, Shiffrin, Swiatek, Leclerc, and others could be redirected for military purposes underscores growing fears about the misuse of athlete technology.

The report adds to mounting concerns about how China leverages access to global tech innovations, raising difficult questions for sports organizations, athletes, and governments worldwide.

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